Rocky Robertson's 51 Kaiser Special

On your mark! Get set! Go! Theres a trend in rodding called Nifty Fifties. Nifty Fiftiesour term for passenger cars and light trucks that Detroit built and sold from 1949 to 1963has become one of roddings richest sources of original material. Nifty Fifties represents a number of pluses, such as availability, low cost, models galore, character, modern construction techniques, ample size and lots of shape. Those who have already gotten the message include such luminaries as Boyd Coddington, Jerry Kugel, the Lombardos, Troy Trepanier, Don Thelan, Billy Belmont, Mark Grimes and one of the first to bring the Pro Street look to 80s body styles, Rocky Robertson.

Last year, Rockywhose 86 Buick Somerset and 88 LeSabre were prominently covered in Hot Rod had a change of heart. The guy who helped pioneer Pro 80s got lost in the 50s, when a chance encounter with the K car listings in Hemmings Motor News ultimately led Rocky to the contents of a barn located just 60 miles from his home in Albers, Illinois. There, stored since 1968, was a 51 Kaiser Special, one of the K-type cars mentioned in Hemmings, and it was available for just $1000.

Rocky was smitten by this member of a strange but unique family of automobiles, built and sold between 1947 and 1955 by the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation. However, Rockys plans didnt include retaining the 51 Specials channel frame, front and rear suspension components, 115-horse, six-in-a-row engine and running gear, interior or much of its original ornamentation.

Thanks in part to financial and promotional help from Performance Corner, Rocky could now relieve the Kaiser of everything but its original sheetmetal and begin to pro-create a Nifty Fifty. The body shell was remounted on a pair of supporting rails and placed on top of a large welders table. A new 2x3-inch frame was formed from stainless steel, which Rocky polished from one end to the other. He then equipped it with Chassis Engineering componentstubular A-arms, aluminum coil-overs, rack-and-pinion steering and Wilwood disc brakes on the front; a narrowed Ford 9-inch (4:10 Strange gears plus a posi) retained by four-link radius rods and coil-over shocks at the rear. Building a pro-stalgia Nifty Fifty means meats, and Rockys roller has the Mickeys: 26x7.50-15s and 33x21.5-15s retained by 15x5 and 15x15 Weld Rodlights.

Rocky, whose love of unusual engine combos is well known, has done it again. Under the 51s flamed and filled hood churns a 502-inch, GM Performance Parts fat-block that he augmented with not one but two Paxton puffers. And, yes, its torque is multiplied by a TCI-prepared, -shifted, -cooled and -converted 700-R4 trans.

Now the Rockman is, by profession, a panel banger. Yet all Rocky did to the Kaisers 43-year-old body was repair its rust outs, remove its more ostentatious embellishments, recontour a rear pan, recess its license plate and repaint its Anatomic Design body Du Pont Black before he set it on fire.

Kaisers 51 advertisements played up the Specials safety featuressafety-mounted windshield, safety-cushion-padded instrument panel, recessed gauges, safety-level seats and extra legroom. Much of the 51s interior was retained but thoroughly upgraded. A pair of Cerullo sports seats, which Rocky trimmed with gray tweed and gray leather, replaces the bench seat.

The padded dash has been smoothed and filled with Auto Meter gauges. Kenwood sounds aboundan audiophiles delight with a head unit, a disc changer, subwoofers, tweeters, midrange speakers an equalizer and crossover units, but the reconditioned original steering wheel is still close at hand.

Rockys strange old car isnt totally unique; its just another example of what we mean by Nifty Fifties. As always, Hot Rod will feature a number of these pro-stalgia shoeboxes, guaranteed to entertain your brain. Meanwhile, Rocky and Laurie Robertsons Performance Corner Kaiser should show our readers why Nifty Fifties cars are licking hot.